‘My Name’ drums up excitement with tense action scenes

Director Kim Jin-min is certain viewers who watch the first episode of his upcoming Netflix series, “My Name,” won’t be able to stop until they finish the rest of the show. “Most of the action scenes are done without a stuntman or stuntwoman. I avoided using computer graphics as well. I am sure that the viewers will be fascinated by the brutal raw action moves by the cast,” Kim said in an online press conference on Tuesday. Director Kim’s second Netflix ser

Oct. 5, 2021

Vienna Philharmonic, Riccardo Muti to go onstage in Korea

The Vienna Philharmonic and maestro Riccardo Muti are to take the stage in Korea as part of the orchestra’s Asian tour, which includes Japan and China. The Sejong Center for the Performing Arts announced Tuesday the orchestra is to go onstage at the theater on Nov. 14, led by the Italian maestro Muti. Prior to the concerts in Korea, the orchestra will tour across Japan from Nov. 3 to 12. After the engagements here, the orchestra continues on in China with concerts scheduled from Nov. 1

Oct. 5, 2021

Taking ‘Samson and Delilah’ to 1938 Nazi Germany

The biblical story of Samson and Delilah will get a major reinterpretation at the upcoming performance presented by the Korea National Opera in October, as the set moves from Biblical Gaza to 1938 Nazi Germany. The KNO is to stage opera “Samson and Delilah,” Oct. 7-10, at the Seoul Arts Center, commemorating the 100th anniversary since the death of Saint-Saens. It will be the first time in 40 years that the state opera company has gone onstage with the opera work. This time, the

Oct. 5, 2021

aespa hopes to move on to 'next level' with new EP

K-pop girl group aespa unveiled its first EP "Savage" Tuesday, expressing hope to move on to a higher level with the album directed by Lee Soo-man, the chief producer and founder of major K-pop agency SM Entertainment. "We're so thrilled and nervous to release our first physical album," the group said during an online press showcase event for the album set to be out at 6 p.m. "We'll show you aespa upgraded one level with 'Savage,' so please keep an eye on us." The

Oct. 5, 2021

ITZY debuts at No. 11 on Billboard main albums chart with 'Crazy In Love'

K-pop girl group ITZY landed at 11th on the US Billboard's main albums chart, its highest chart position ever, with "Crazy In Love," Billboard said. The group's first studio album, released on Sept. 24, ranked 11th on the Billboard 200 for this week, Billboard said on its Twitter account Monday (US time). This is the third highest ranking on the chart by a K-pop girl group after BLACKPINK's second and TWICE's sixth. The five-piece act made it onto the chart for the first time in Ma

Oct. 5, 2021

BTS-Coldplay collaboration 'My Universe' debuts at No. 1 on Billboard Hot 100

K-pop supergroup BTS made another No. 1 debut on Billboard's main singles chart with a collaboration single with British rock band Coldplay, Billboard said. "Coldplay and BTS rocket onto the Billboard Hot 100 songs chart at No. 1 with their collaborative new single 'My Universe'," Billboard said on its website Monday (US time). It marks BTS' sixth No. 1 debut and Coldplay's second on the Hot 100, one of the pop music industry's most influential music charts. Billboard said "My

Oct. 5, 2021

[Herald Review] TXT’s magical first concert, ‘Act: Boy’

Sitting through the two and half hours of Tomorrow X Together’s online concert on Sunday afternoon, it was breathtaking to watch how closely the five band members connected with their fans, the Moas, even with only a virtual presence. “Although I’ve heard screams so loud that they pierce through the in-ear headphones, it’s my first time hearing them come straight into my ears from the headphones,” said Taehyun during the concert, “Act: Boy,” on the di

Oct. 4, 2021

‘Squid Game’ cast to appear on Jimmy Fallon show

Actors of “Squid Game” are scheduled to appear on popular US late-night show “The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon,” in a special interview with the show‘s host. According to Netflix, the four actors -- Lee Jung-jae, Park Hae-soo, Jung Ho-yeon and Wi Ha-joon -- will join the late-night show online for an episode that will be recorded Tuesday. The show is set to air the following day in the US. The nine-part thriller has topped global Netflix charts since its re

Oct. 4, 2021

Director Im Kwon-taek honored at Busan International Film Festival

The 26th Busan International Film Festival has selected director Im Kwon-taek as Asian filmmaker of the year. The award is presented to the Asian filmmaker or organization that has made the most significant contributions to the advancement of the Asian film industry. The iconic South Korean director was selected in recognition of a prolific career that spans six decades and has helped promote Asian film around the world, BIFF said in announcing the decision. Through films such as “Seopye

Oct. 4, 2021

[Herald Interview] Actor Jung Ho-yeon stays humble amid ‘Squid Game’ craze

For Jung Ho-yeon, 27, playing the role of Sae-byeok in “Squid Game,” directed by Hwang Dong-hyuk, was an unreal experience as she was able to study and learn acting at a new level. “I am honored and feel thankful (to the viewers) for loving my performance in the series. But I am well-aware of how much work I have to do and learn to become a better actor,” Jung said during an online interview with a group of reporters on Friday. “I try not to dwell too much on the

Oct. 4, 2021

'Squid Game' all the rage in Paris

PARIS -- A pop-up store for Netflix's original Korean series "Squid Game" opened up in France over the weekend, attracting fans in Europe. The pop-up store, set up at a cafe in Paris' 2nd arrondissement, ran from Saturday to Sunday and allowed visitors to take photos with the staff dressed up as red-suit guards as in the show. The store also showcased a childhood game featured in the series known as "dalgona bbobgi." Visitors at the pop-up store took on the challenge, in wh

Oct. 4, 2021

BTS-Coldplay collaboration 'My Universe' debuts at No. 3 on British Official Singles Chart

"My Universe," the collaboration single by K-pop sensation BTS and British rock band Coldplay, has debuted at No. 3 on the British Official Singles Chart Top 100, on par with two previous highest rankings for the South Korean group. The song, which was released Sept. 24, placed third on the chart dated Oct. 1-7, the Official Charts website said Friday (British time). "It's the week's biggest seller across both digital downloads and CD, notching up 27,000 pure sales over the last

Oct. 2, 2021

Fusion tunes light up London for K-Music Fest

London’s Festival of Korean Music, known as the K-Music Festival, which serves as a bridge for exchange and the promotion of traditional Korean music, is returning with live performances this fall. This year marks the eighth anniversary of the festival, organized by the Korean Cultural Center UK, along with Serious, which also serves as the main organizer for the EFG London Jazz Festival. A total of eight performances will be held across five different stages from Oct. 6 to Nov. 17, thr

Oct. 1, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Twice to mark 6th anniversary with LP, tour

Twice will release its third studio album next month followed by an international tour, after celebrating its sixth anniversary month with a week-long event. 　 The news came at the end of the music video for its first English-language single “The Feels” that was unveiled Friday. Some of the group’s songs -- including “More & More” from 9th EP, “I Can’t Stop Me” from 2nd LP, and digital single “Cry for Me” -- have English-language v

Oct. 1, 2021

OTT service content rating evaluation lags behind schedule

As the web-based and OTT (over-the-top) content market enjoys unprecedented popularity due to the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic, a so-called stagnation effect has hit the industry, causing frequent delays in the rating evaluating process for new releases. The number of requests for video content ratings jumped by 1,300 in a single year, from 6,626 in 2019 to 7,957 in 2020, according to Rep. Park Jeong of the Democratic Party, a member of the National Assembly’s Culture, Sports and Tourism C

Oct. 1, 2021

Universal Ballet to go onstage with ‘Giselle’

The Universal Ballet Company is to stage “Giselle” at the Seoul Arts Center from Oct. 29-31. The classic ballet is one of the most well-known and widely performed works of the Romantic era. Adolphe Adam wrote the music. Most performances of “Giselle” use the choreography staged by ballet legend Marius Petipa. It tells the story of a young peasant girl named Giselle. She falls in love with Albrecht, a nobleman in disguise. After learning that Albrecht has betrayed he

Oct. 1, 2021

Rom-com 'Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha' hits top 10 on world's popular TV show rankings

South Korean TV series "Hometown Cha-Cha-Cha" is gaining popularity on global online streaming platform Netflix, adding to a recent bullish run worldwide of Korea-made content led by the survival drama "Squid Game." The romantic comedy, aired on local cable channel tvN and simultaneously available for international streaming on Netflix, placed ninth on the most-viewed TV show rankings, according to streaming analytics firm FlixPatrol on Friday. It is the second South Korean s

Oct. 1, 2021

[Box Office] Movies in theaters this week

On the Line (Korea) Opened Sept. 15 Action Co-directed by Kim Sun and Kim Gok Seo-jun (Byun Yo-han) and his colleagues at a construction site in Busan lose around 3 billion won ($2.5 million) to a massive voice-phishing ring. He decides to look for the mastermind behind it and tracks the crimes to a call center in China. At the center, Seo-jun finds out the crime ring is preparing for its next big project. Miracle: Letters to the President (Korea) Opened Sept. 15 Drama Directed by Lee Jang-h

Oct. 1, 2021

[Today’s K-pop] Seventeen shows off team spirit

The members of Seventeen gave fans a glimpse of their shared history divulging episodes from the last six years in a video uploaded on Friday. 　 Members of vocal unit -- Junghan, Joshua, Woozi, Dogyeom and Seungkwan -- were in the first part of the three-part series. 　 “There is no need to worry when we’re doing activities as units,” said Woozi, “I think we’re on the same wavelength.” 　 Every recording is a challenge, admitted Junghan. He almost thought abo

Sept. 30, 2021

[Herald Interview] Lee Jung-jae says ‘Squid Game’ surprised him like it shocked the world

Top actor Lee Jung-jae is surprised with the global fervor for “Squid Game,” while enjoying the success of his Netflix debut. Mesmerizing viewers is not an unusual experience for the veteran actor, but Lee was shocked when he first saw himself as Ki-hoon. “Watching myself playing the role of Ki-hoon gave me goosebumps. I laughed a lot when I monitored the work after its release. Acting Ki-hoon was definitely a refreshing experience, making moves and facial expressions th

Sept. 30, 2021